Closure for pneumatic system carrier



Dec. 9, 1969 s. LEONTAS 3,482,801

CLOSURE FOR PNEUMATIC SYSTEM CARRIER Filed April 4, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet1 INVENTOR Spiros Leonfiws ATTORNEYS Dec. 9. 1969 s. LEONTAS CLOSURE FORPNEUMATIC SYSTEM CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 4, 1968 SpirosLeoni'as ATTORNEYS United States Patent i 3,482,801 CLOSURE FORPNEUMATIC SYSTEM CARRIER Spiros Leontas, Canton, Ohio, assignor toDiebold Incorporated, Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Apr. 4,1968, Ser. No. 718,894 Int. Cl. B65g 51/06; B65d 43/18, 43/24 US. Cl.243-35 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A closure construction andarrangement for an open end of a material-conveying carrier for apneumatic tube system particularly adapted for conducting bankingtransactions. Two semi-circular closure members, pivoted together at onecircumferential corner of each, form the carrier closure. The otherdiametrically opposed corner of one of the closure members is pivoted tothe carrier, and the other diametrically opposed corner of the secondclosure member is movable in a fixed path circumferentially of the openend of the carrier. The two members are spring-biased by spring means tonormally closed position closing the open end of the container, aremovable to an open position fully exposing the open end of thecontainer, and also are held in the open position by the spring means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relatesto a carrier for banking materials which moves through a pneumatic tubein performing banking services from a remote customers station. Inaccordance with the invention, the carrier body is hollow or tubular andhas at least one open end to provide access to the interior of thecarrier. The open end normally is covered by a movable closure whichmust be readily movable between opened and closed positions. The closurealso must be held securely in closed position when closed. Thecompartment in the hollow carrier body and the size of the open end mustbe as large as possible and should not be restricted by the constructionand mounting of the closure or of the means controlling closureoperation. The carrier body preferably should be transparent.

Description of the prior art Many closure arrangements for pneumatictube system carrier access openings have been used. Prior transparentcarriers for conducting banking services have used complicated mountingsand latches for the closure means for an open end of the carrier body.The mounting and latching mechanisms have been subject to injury in use,and the closure mounting structure has reduced the size of the carriercompartment and its open end.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Objectives of the invention include providing apneumatic tube system carrier access opening closure construction for atransparent carrier which may be readily moved between opened and closedpositions, which is effectively held in closed position when closed andin opened position when opened, and which does not reduce the internalvolume of the carrier or the size of the access opening; and providing aclosure construction eliminating difliculties heretofore encountered,achieving the stated objectives simply, effectively, and inexpensively,and solving problems and satisfying existing needs.

These objectives and advantages are obtained by the pneumatic tubesystem carrier access opening closure construction, the general natureof which may be stated as including a generally tubular transparentplastic mateice rial carrier body having two ends and open at least atone end; closure means for said open end including a pair of closuremembers each having a semi-circular wall former with a pivot end and adiametrically opposed free end, said wall having a diametric edge andterminating circumferentially in a downturned semi-circular flangeformed with an inturned flange spaced from the wall and formingtherewith a recess; the carrier body having outturned flange meansengaged in said recess holding the members against axial separation fromthe body when the closure members are in closed position; means mountingthe pivot ends of the members for lateral pivotal movement; spring meansurging the members to closed position with their diametric edgesengaged; the free end of one member having pivot connection with theopen end of the carrier body wall for lateral pivotal movement; therebeing an arcuate slot formed in the body extending circumferentiallyaway from said pivot connection; and pin means on the free end of theother member engaged in said arcuate slot; whereby lateral movement ofthe other member against the pressure of the spring means separates theclosure members pocket-book fashion to fully expose the interior of thecarrier.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS- A preferred embodiment of theinvention-illustrative of the best mode in which applicant hascontemplated applying the principles-is set forth in the followingdescription and shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctlypointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a carrier provided with the improvedclosure construction;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the carrier shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 33,FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but taken on the line 44, FIG. 2.;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view looking in thedirection of the arrows 55, FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 66, FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a similar view taken on the line 7-7, FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side view looking in the direction of the arrows8-8, FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the position of the partsjust after starting to open the closure;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 showing the closure in fully openedposition; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view looking in the direction of thearrows 1111, FIG. 9.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The pneumatic tube systemcarrier 1 has a carrier body generally indicated at 2 which is generallytubular in shape and preferably is formed of transparent plasticmaterial. Body 2 may have either one or two open ends, two open ends 3being illustrated. Each open end 3 is covered or closed by closure meansgenerally indicated at 4.

Usual accelerator band means 5 are mounted on and surround the carrierbody 2 and project outwardly of the body adjacent to and spaced fromeach end 3 of the body. An outturned flange 6 projects from andsurrounds a major portion of the open end of the body 2.

Each closure means 4 comprises two semi-circular or half-moon-shapedmembers 7 and 8 having ends 9 and 10 which are arranged for substantialpivotal movement one with respect to the other. This pivotal movement isachieved by connecting the ends 9 and 10 of members 7 and 8 together bya leaf spring 11. Leaf spring 11 preferably is riveted at 11a to member7 and at 11b to member 8. Leaf spring 11 thus performs the doublefunction of providing the connection and effective pivotal mounting ofthe ends 9 and 10 of members 7 and 8, as well as providing the springtension normally maintaining the closure members 7 and 8 in the closedposition of FIGS. 1 and 2. Each closure member 7 and 8 terminates in adownturned semi-circular flange 12 having an inturned flange 13 spacedbelow the top portion of member 7 or 8 to provide a circumferentialrecess 14 which, when members 7 and 8 are in closed position, engagesthe carrier body flange 6, well shown in FIG. 4.

Body member 2 is formed with a projection 15 in the zone of flange 6 butextending radially a greater distance, as well shown in FIGS. 1, 5, 8,and 10. Flange 12 of memher 7 is bifurcated at 16 to span projection 15and a pivot pin 17 pivotally connects the other end of member 7 withprojection 15 thus pivotally mounting closure member 7 on body member 2.

Flange 12 of the other closure member 8 at its end 18 opposite to thatend connected by spring 11 with the first closure member 7 also isbifurcated at 19 to straddle projection 15 when the closure members arein closed position. The bifurcated end 18-19 of closure member 8 alsostraddles the body flange 7 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 8 as it slidesaround the periphery of the end of body member 2 in moving from closedposition of FIG. 2 through the partially open position of FIG. 9 to theopen position of FIG. 10. The end 18 of closure member 8 preferably hasa pin 20 (FIG. 11) which is retained in and moves in arcuate slot 21 inthe end of the body member wall so as to direct movement of the end 18of closure member 8 as it moves between closed and opened positions.

Closure members 7 and 8 when in closed position (FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4)present a complete closure for the open end of the carrier on which themembers are mounted. Closure member 8 may be provided with afinger-receiving recess 22 in which the finger or thumb of a user may beengaged for moving closure member 8 between the closed position of FIG.2 and the open position of FIG. 10. This is accomplished by manipulatingmovement in the direction of the arrow 23.

Closure member 8 when moved from closed position in the direction of thearrow 23, FIG. 2, because of its connection by spring 11 with closuremember 7, moves closure member 7 on its pivotal connection 17 past theposition of FIG. 9 to the position of FIG. 10. Meanwhile, the end 18 ofclosure member 8 remains connected with the end of the body member byengagement and movement of pin 20 in groove 21. During closure movement,as pin 20 (viewing FIG. 10) moves counterclockwise past a pointdiametrically opposite pivot pin 17, a toggle-like action takes placeand the location of pin 20 becomes closer to pivot pin 17. Thus, spring11, which urges the members 7 and 8 to closed position, also holds themembers in the open position illustrated in FIG. 10.

In the open position of FIG. 10, the diametric straight edges 24 ofmembers 7 and 8 are substantially tangent to the inner surface 25 of thehollow interior of carrier body 2. A complete full opening for thecarrier when the closure members 7 and 8 are in open position is thusexposed, providing for completely unobstructed access to the interior ofthe carrier and its contents.

The connection and spring tensioning of the members 7 and 8 isaccomplished by using a leaf spring 11 as shown. The same results may beobtained by connecting the two members by another type of spring and byproviding a pivot connection between the ends 9 and 10 of members 7 and8.

The interengagement between the flanges 13 on the closure members 7 and8 and the flange 6 on the body member when the closure means is inclosed position prevents axial separation of the closure means from thecarrier body when the closure means is in closed position.

The carrier illustrated in the drawings has identical closure means foreach end of the carrier 1. This is convenient in use so that either endmay be opened by the user without turning manipulation of the carrierand thus gives ready access to material within the carrier that may haveslipped to or be held within the carrier at one end thereof. However, itis to be understood that one end of the carrier 1 may be closed andclosure means capable of being opened such as disclosed, may be usedonly at the other end.

The improved construction is very simple and provides an effective andsturdy closure construction for pneumatic tube carrier bodies, providesa structure which is not subject to damage or breakage in use and whichpresents fully opened access to the interior of the carrier when theclosure is in open position, and provides a structure which eliminatesdifliculties encountered with prior devices, achieves the objectives andsolves existing problems in the art.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to beimplied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because suchterms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadlyconstrued.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is by way ofexample, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exactdetails shown or described.

Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of theinvention, the manner in which the improved carrier is constructed andused, the characteristics of the new construction, and the advantageous,new and useful results obtained; the new and useful structures, devices,elements, arrangements, parts and combinations, and mechanicalequivalents obvious to those skilled in the art are set forth in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. Closure construction for a Pneumatic tube carrier including agenerally tubular carrier body having two ends at least one of which isopen; closure means for said open end comprising a pair of closuremembers adapted for movement pocket-book fashion between opened andclosed positions, each member having a semicircular wall formed with apivot end and a diametrically opposed free end, the wall having adiametric edge and terminating circumferentially in a downturnedsemi-circular flange; interengageable means on the members and body forholding the members against axial separation from the body when themembers are in closed position; means mounting the member pivot ends forlateral pivotal movement; spring control means normally maintaining themembers in closed position with their diametric edges engaged; meanspivotally mounting the free end of one member on the carrier body forswinging movement laterally of the body; and guide means interengagedbetween the free end of the other member and the body to guide movementof said other member free end circumferentially around the body as themembers are moved between opened and closed positions; whereby lateralmovement of the members separates the members pocket-book fashion whenmoved from closed to opened position, and whereby the members in openedposition fully expose the interior of the carrier.

2. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the carrier body hasoutturned flange means at its open end, in which the downturnedsemi-circular closure member flanges are formed with recess means, andin which the outturned flange means are engaged with said recess 'meansfor holding the members against axial separation spring control meanscomprises a leaf spring secured to the pivot ends of the closuremembers, and in which the leaf spring holds said pivot ends inengagement and permits pivotal movement of said closure memberslaterally with respect to one another.

6. The construction defined in claim 5 in which the carrier body hasoutturned flange means at its open end, and in which said flange meansis interrupted to accommodate the leaf spring.

7. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the carrier body hasoutturned flange means at its open end formed with a radially extendedprojection, and in which the means pivotally mounting the free end ofthe one member on the carrier body includes a pivot connection betweensaid free end and said radially extended projection.

8. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the guide meanscomprises an arcuate slot formed in the body extending circumferentiallyaway from the pivotal mounting of the free end of one member on thecarrier body, and a pin in the free end of the other member engaged andguided in said arcuate slot.

9. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the free end of saidother closure member is bifurcated, in

which the carrier body has outturned flange means at its open end, andin which said bifurcated closure member portion straddles said outturnedflange during closure member movement from closed to opened position.

10. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the spring controlmeans holds the closure members in opened position when moved to openedposition.

11. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the carrier body has aninner surface, in which the closure members form a V-opening extendingfrom their pivot ends between their diametric edges when in openedposition, and in which the diametric edges are substantially tangent tothe inner surface of the carrier body when the closure members are inopened position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 242,459 6/1881 Leaycraft 24332HARVEY C. HORNSBY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

